Key issue in U.S. Senate race: high price of prescription drugs

Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Why do Americans pay higher prescription drug prices than anyone else in the world while the pharmaceutical companies sell the same drugs at lower costs abroad? And why won't Congress pass legislation to allow Americans to buy these drugs at the price they are sold to foreigners?

Voters should listen carefully to what our two major candidates for the U.S. Senate say about this subject. Tony Knowles wants to rein in prescription drug costs by legalizing importation and re-importation of drugs from Canada and Europe where drugs routinely cost half as much. Lisa Murkowski says she support this idea, yet she voted against creating regulations allowing pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada.

Alaska voters who are concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs should ask themselves which candidate is truly on their side.